


oh, dress up

by youtiao



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Dress-Wearing, Established Relationship, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Kim Jongin | Kai, The strawberry dress, never thought I of all people would be using the domestic fluff tag but here i am
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtiao/pseuds/youtiao
Summary: “How do I look?” they say, a little timid, hands clasped in front of their chest. The turtleneck collar makes their neck look so long and so pretty, fabric cinching at their slender waist, before the crimped skirt flares outward. There’s so muchskin—Baekhyun feels like a Victorian man seeing exposed ankle for the first time.“You look really good,” Baekhyun says hoarsely. “Really really good.”
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	oh, dress up

**Author's Note:**

> this is so self indulgent 
> 
> title from suit up by jonghyun

_The package_ arrives during one of Baekhyun’s many games of Among Us. He shuts off the lights, kills Cyan, hops into a vent, then says, “hold on, someone’s at the door,” into the Discord call.

A lot of packages arrive while Baekhyun is playing Among Us. Though upon further retrospection, that is probably due to his near-constant state of playing Among Us and not the delivery man’s timing. The package at the door is a nondescript cardboard box, big enough he oofs a little when he bends over to pick it up.

For its size, it’s pretty light. There’s no branding, nothing alluding to its contents—no words, really, except for Jongin’s name on the shipping label, and he squints at the box curiously for a few moments.

Pants winds around his feet like a furry snake. “What do you think it is?” Baekhyun asks, reaching down to scratch behind her ears.

“Baek, we’re voting you out!” Chanyeol yells, and his imposter win streak is more important than figuring out whatever his significant other ordered, so he puts the box in the living room and dashes back to his computer.

A few minutes later, his phone buzzes.

_did a package arrive?_

_ye got it for u :-)_

He doesn’t get a response, but doesn’t dwell on it too much. Jongin _is_ the breadwinner of the house (a 2-bedroom flat they’ve shared since university) and Baekhyun is the pretty house-husband (slash gamer with a decent following on Twitch). They were probably— _most likely_ doing _actual_ work.

Pants jumps onto his lap. _i miss u_ , he sends.

Idly, he wishes the hours that Jongin is away would pass faster.

Baekhyun is cooking and shaking his ass to SNSD when Jongin gets home.

When Baekhyun turns to greet them, they’re staring at the package oddly, tie half-loosened. “What’s in that package that has you so distracted?” he teases, though Jongin whips their head toward him, eyes big in guilt, which then makes Baekhyun feel guilty. “I’m joking, angel. Go change. Dinner will be ready soon.”

The rice cooker beeps. “Or now, I guess.” That gets him a laugh from Jongin, and they duck a little to press their lips to Baekhyun’s cheek, before undoing their tie the rest of the way and slipping into the bedroom. “Hello, sweetie,” he hears Jongin coo, and then something else that is obscured by the hiss of steam escaping the rice cooker.

Jongin reemerges in a worn t-shirt and soft pants, and dinner passes without much incident. Baekhyun crows about his Among Us win streak, Jongin talks about an interesting novel they found while cataloguing, and they pass the best bites of meat back and forth like a cringy married couple.

Well, they _are_ married. And Baekhyun hasn’t seen Jongin for nine terribly long hours, so he thinks he deserves to be a little bit cringe. Pants lays on their socked feet, purring.

“What’s in that package, anyway?” Baekhyun asks, as they’re finishing off the stir-fried vegetables. Jongin tenses a little, imperceptible—to anyone that hasn’t been dating them for 6 years, that is. “Hey. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he says, tangling their fingers together. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Jongin says, voice a little tight. “I bought... clothes.”

Baekhyun tries to stop the eyebrow raise. He _does_.

“Stop making this so hard,” they sigh. “ _Dresses_. I bought _dresses_.”

Their shoulders slump, and their sigh is a little too shaky, and they avoid Baekhyun’s eyes in an about-to-cry way. “It was probably a waste of money, but. I don’t even know. I’ll send them back tomorrow.” They pick up their plate, push away from the table—

“No,” Baekhyun says, louder than he wanted. He rounds the table to kneel by Jongin’s side, taking their hand. Pants jumps onto their lap, staring up at Jongin, butting her head against their arm. “Don’t say that. It’s your money, and if you want to spend it on clothes you like, you can. Okay?”

Jongin looks away, frowning. “You don’t have to lie for my sake. I know it’s weird.”

“Angel,” Baekhyun says, “I wouldn’t lie to you. I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know,” they reply, covering their eyes with their arm. “I’m not doubting y—I _know_ , I just...” They open their mouth, probably about to apologise. Baekhyun squeezes their hand, Pants kneads their thigh. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Baekhyun echoes.

Jongin removes their arm from their face, gives Baekhyun a shaky smile. “Then.. do you... want to look at them with me, maybe?”

“I’d throw a tantrum if you didn’t let me,” Baekhyun jokes, picking Pants off Jongin’s lap. “Let me get the scissors.”

The first thing Jongin pulls from the box is a black skater dress. “Try it on,” Baekhyun urges.

“You’re more excited for this than I am,” Jongin chuckles, though they acquiesce, tugging off their soft sleep shirt and kicking off their pajama bottoms, pulling the dress over their head. Baekhyun does up the ties in the back, straightens out their skirt, and cops a feel in the process.

Jongin turns around, and the breath catches in Baekhyun’s throat.

“How do I look?” they say, a little timid, hands clasped in front of their chest. The turtleneck collar makes their neck look so long and so pretty, fabric cinching at their slender waist, before the crimped skirt flares outward. There’s so much _skin_ —Baekhyun feels like a Victorian man seeing exposed ankle for the first time.

“Maybe a belt,” Jongin is saying.

“You look really good,” Baekhyun says hoarsely. “Really really good.”

Brief intermission: they retrieve the floor-length mirror from the bedroom, which gets hastily propped up against the arm of the overstuffed couch so Jongin can peer at themself, spin around, and blush— _I didn’t think the back was_ this _open!_ and then Jongin is kneeling by the cardboard box again.

Out comes a sundress patterned with suns and lemons. Given it’s mid-October, not too seasonal, but Baekhyun makes a mental note to take Jongin to an orchard come summertime.

A blue-green imitation-wrap dress with a white and pink and pale yellow rose pattern, with an open collar that goes all the way to the navel. To Jongin’s chagrin, Baekhyun keeps trying to get his hand down the v-neck.

The next is a bronzey iridescent silk thing that seems a little too short, until Jongin pulls out a puffy square of mesh that unfolds into a shiny floaty thing... that goes over the short silky thing. Baekhyun doesn’t know dresses. The puffy floaty see-through sleeves and layered skirt is patterned with shimmery stars, and even in the dim orangey glow of their living room lamp, Jongin looks gorgeous. Like a god descended.

“Too bad we already had our wedding,” Baekhyun mutters, rubbing the meshy stuff between his fingers. He looks up at Jongin, making his eyes round like saucers, and Jongin laughs and flicks his nose.

“No,” they chide, “—maybe.”

They pull out another neatly folded square that unfolds into a velvet tunic dress with black mesh sleeves embroidered with pink roses. Jongin takes one look at themself and disappears into the bedroom. They come out holding Baekhyun’s clunky rose platforms, and wearing a pair of black sheer stockings, and the gold pendant Baekhyun gifted them last anniversary.

“Oh, you magnificent bastard,” Baekhyun sighs. “You look fucking gorgeous.”

“I’d look better with makeup,” Jongin muses, tucking their hair behind their ear. In the 5cm platforms, they _tower_ over Baekhyun, and he has to tug them down to kiss them.

Brief intermission 2 turned end of unboxing: Jongin puts on this shimmery lipstick and, well.

Baekhyun can’t be blamed. He’s only a mortal man.

The next day is a Saturday. Baekhyun wakes up at half past 10, Pants on his face, and after a brief scuffle which ends with Pants glaring at him from Jongin’s pillow, he turns on his phone to find half a dozen photo texts from Jongin in the remaining dresses. _u finished unboxing w/o me!!!? >:(_ he texts, to a little chime from the living room.

Jongin pokes their head around the doorframe. “I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you are very distracting,” they say with a smile, sitting on the edge of the bed. Baekhyun pouts. “Aw, don’t be like that. If you like any in particular, I’ll put them on again.”

“All of them,” Baekhyun says instantly.

Jongin rolls their eyes and laughs.

The package arrives when Baekhyun is sitting by the door, waiting for the package. He flings open the door at the chime of the doorbell. It’s a simple cardboard box, which he slices open to reveal pink tulle and red sparkly strawberries.

He seals it back up, wraps it in Rilakkuma wrapping paper, and for the nth time, wishes the hours would pass faster.

(Who the hell works on their _birthday_ , anyway?)

He hides away when he hears the sound of Jongin’s key in the lock, making sure the closet door is cracked a tad so he can see Jongin laugh at the rose petals and strawberry glitter pieces and confetti, call out for Baekhyun, and, not getting a response, following the rose petal trail to the wrapped box on the coffee table.

The exact moment Jongin sees the dress is marked with a gasp.

Baekhyun slips from the closet as they pull the dress from the box, and it unfolds in all its puffy pink tulle and glittery strawberry glory. “Happy birthday~,” he sings. Jongin whirls around, face crumpling, before— _gently_ —laying the $500 dress onto the table and hugging him tight. “Oof. I assume that means you like it?”

“You’re so irritating,” Jongin says into his shoulder. He pats their back. “Is this real? The real Lirika Matoshi one?”

“Would I get you anything less?” Baekhyun returns smartly.

“No, I—” Baekhyun presses his finger to their lips. “Thank you so much,” Jongin says, sounding teary. “How do I even—how am I supposed to—”

Baekhyun smiles. “Just put it on, love.”

(Brief intermission: Jongin presses him to the wall and kisses him until there are spots in his vision.)

**Author's Note:**

> if u made it this far, why, but thank you 
> 
> [tweeter](https://twitter.com/02sheep)


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